Quick Bites

Get More Green

This St. Patrick's Day, get more green – in your diet that is. Most Americans don't meet their recommended number of servings of vegetables per day, or believe that only "raw" or fresh vegetables are healthy. Aim for at least 2 cups of vegetables per day, but more is better. One serving = 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked vegetables. Here are the top 5 for best health:

Asparagus: for only 20 calories in 6 spears, you get 10% of your daily value of vitamin C, 20% of your vitamin A needs and 30% of your folate requirement. Try them grilled or steamed with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Broccoli: loaded with cancer fighting sulforaphane, beta-carotene and vitamin C, you're better off eating broccoli raw, than cooked. Add it to salads or snack on it solo with hummus or light dip. It's also great steamed or sautéed in stir fries.

Brussels Sprouts: a member of the cabbage family, these tiny green heads are a great source of vitamin K, beta-carotene and fiber. Steam them then toss them in a tiny bit of olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Kale: a relative of cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, kale is loaded with several cancer-fighting phytochemicals
such as isothiocynates and indole-3-carbinole. Try it in soup or as a side dish with white beans and rosemary.

Spinach: spinach is not only a source of carotenoids, it's also a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, 2 nutrients that protect against macular degeneration. Eat it in salads, on sandwiches or toss it into sauce, soups and casseroles.

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